Sustainability and Energy Action Plan

CONSUMPTION AND MATERIALS GRANTS PASS SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ACTION PLAN Products designed to be more sustainable might be more expensive upfront but will often generate long-term savings and reduce overall waste. The City should consider sustainability factors in all its purchasing decisions, making a concerted effort to consume less overall, and to choose better options when selecting what to consume. A few more specific guidelines follow.Projects and Steps Project CM -1. Reduce Consumption by Introducing Environmentally Preferable Purchasing GuidelinesCM-1-4. Choose Automated Options Automated technology should be incorporated when available to allow for better management and reduced energy usage, for example, in lighting automation and smart thermostats. CM-1-1. Select Lighting for Energy Efficiency New bulbs or lighting fixture purchases must be an energy -efficient option, such as LED lights. CM-1-2. Choose Energy -Efficient and Durable Appliances New appliance purchases must meet energy efficiency standards, as well as durability and lifespan standards. Choosing "built -to-last" appliances over less durable models will reduce long term spending on those purchases, as well as reduce waste. CM-1-3. Phase Out Natural Gas When purchasing technology that can run on either natural gas or electricity, electric options should be chosen in order to both reduce emissions (as emissions from electricity drop with grid power increasingly consisting of renewable energy), and reduce costs (as the City builds its own renewableProject CM -2. Identify Opportunities for Material Reuse and Improved Materials Selection Basic environmentally preferable purchasing guidelines are a great first step towards more sustainable materials practices by reducing consumption, but in order to make them most effective, and allow for action beyond that, more strategic analysis and planning must be done.energy generation sites). Such equipment purchases include heat pumps for water and building heating, and ovens/stoves. CM-2-1. Thoroughly Assess the City’s Waste Production Only minimal data on the City’s waste production is available from billing records with Republic Services and Southern Oregon Sanitation. Billing records show the number of annual dump trips , but tonnage had to be estimated assuming most loads weigh the same amount. More importantly, there is little to no information on what materials are being disposed of. This makes for less exact emissions estimates, as most loads must be categorized as “mixed waste” (further discussion of how waste generation emissions were calculated can be found under “solid waste data” in Methodology , Appendix IV). The lack of data also makes it impossible to develop targeted strategies for reducing waste or improving disposal practices . 70